Gadsden, Alabama, gets nearly $3 million grant for downtown greenway project
Site of a future trailhead for the Downtown Gadsden Greenway off North Third Street. (Joey Blackwell / Alabama News Center)
The United States Department of the Interior announced last Wednesday that the city of Gadsden was awarded $2.97 million from its Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program to fund development of the city’s Downtown Gadsden Greenway. The city’s project was one of 54 projects across 24 states selected for funding from the $254 million program.
Gadsden’s project is the only one selected for funding in Alabama.
“This is a game-changer for Gadsden,” Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford said in a statement. “Just six months ago, we approved the GROW Gadsden comprehensive plan, which included this proposed trail. Credit goes to my chief of staff, Brett Johnson, for advocating for this rails-to-trails project and to the entire team who worked tirelessly on this grant. I also want to thank the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and Director Kenneth Boswell for their support and belief in our project. Now, we are looking forward to breaking ground on the Downtown Gadsden Greenway!”
The Downtown Gadsden Greenway project will be a multiuse urban nature trail paralleling Tuscaloosa Avenue and connecting the Black Creek Trail System. The greenway will be constructed on a retired railbed, with the city planning to acquire additional property along Black Creek to connect the greenway to the James D. Martin Wildlife Park behind Gadsden Mall. The project will ultimately create a trail loop around the city’s urban core.
A map of the proposed Downtown Gadsden Greenway project. (Courtesy of city of Gadsden)
The project aims to serve as a catalyst for the future phases of the Downtown Gadsden Greenway. Plans include a future pedestrian bridge across the Coosa River, connecting east Gadsden to Noccalula Falls.
Along the trail, residents will be able to engage in the community’s diverse ecosystem along with having access to its waterways, sports parks, schools, public transportation facilities, community centers, grocery stores, healthcare services and neighborhoods.
The $2.97 million grant will pay for up to 50% of the project’s estimated total cost, estimated at $5.99 million. Included in the project is an 8-foot-wide asphalt pathway, two trailhead facilities with parking, trailside facilities, signs, kiosks, bridge safety reinforcement, sidewalks to adjacent neighborhoods, resting stations and pedestrian lighting.
Established in 2014, the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership is a national dollar-for-dollar matching grant program aimed at aiding disadvantaged urban communities that lack access to nearby outdoor recreation. The program provides grants for community-sponsored park projects in urban areas with more than 30,000 residents.
“The enthusiasm for this program is wonderful, with the highest number of applications we’ve ever seen,” said Shannon Estenoz, assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, in a statement. “After traveling across the United States to increase awareness of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program, I’m thrilled to see so many cities receive grants for the first time.”
The ORLP is managed by the National Park Service and funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
